Word Count: 1,221
Disclaimer: God, no. After that trailer? I couldn't own this show if I were the cockiest son of a bitch alive.
And So the Heart Remembers
He remembers this one time back when they were both seventeen, fresh and young, strong and stubborn. It was during a mission against Poison Ivy, who thought it would be a good idea to wreak havoc on Central City. Flash had accompanied the entire team because there were legions after legions of thick plants snaking its way around the city with no nerve centre or control to be found.
She was pumped for that mission because of how easily she'd taken down Poison Ivy countless times. But apparently, both the good and bad learn from their mistakes because this time, Ivy was ready for her.
It ended up that Artemis had to face Ivy alone. Robin and M'gann were taking apart the central control system, a huge root that had planted itself in front of Central City's only Krispy Kreme store and wouldn't budge unless Robin and M'gann used combined telekinesis and electrified birdarangs. Wally had been helping the rest of the team take down and fry the rest of the miniature plants that constantly harassed the civilians.
"She's mine," Artemis had said. No one wanted to argue and they knew that the archer could most definitely take care of herself.
Whether Ivy had upped her training or cheated during their little one-on-one duel, Artemis had found herself backing away, slowly discovering that with every little cut from Ivy's suspicious green knife, the archer's strength was draining from her. The botanophile had landed a simple kick straight onto the archer's chest and that was that. One final blow from the poisoned knife to Artemis's side, one strained cry from the archer's lips, and she was down.
Thankfully, there were eight other members in the team plus the Flash himself and subduing Poison Ivy had been simple. Subduing Kid Flash, on the other hand was not.
Wally remembers the whole thing vividly but sometimes he wished that he could forget it.
He had landed the first punch on Ivy and damn, did it feel good. The rest of the mission had gone by in a blur and all he could remember was Zatanna and Raquel pulling him away from the med bay while Kal'dur and Robin patched up their resident archer. Kal'dur, ever the expert on poisons and herbs alike, had just the antidote ready on the ship and had assured Wally that she would be fine.
Maybe Wally had been delusional but fine most certainly didn't mean missing out on the next three missions because the cut had been pretty deep. Fine didn't mean remaining unconscious to a point where Robin had mused quietly that Artemis had fallen into a coma. And fine did not mean that Wally would have to spend his afternoons worried sick and archer-less.
He remembers how pale she was, how feverish her skin felt to his touch and how her complexion had taken on a light green hue. He remembers thinking of what he would do to Ivy if she ever broke out of Belle Reve.
But he also remembers being there when Artemis had woken up. He remembers that flush of rose gracing her cheeks, and that overwhelming sense of relief he felt when he first spotted it. He remembers taking her hand and unwittingly holding his breath, afraid that she wouldn't wake up at all. And he remembers that the first thing that came out of her lips was his name. His name.
He remembers all of these things now, remembers how important she's become to him, how without her, he's forever stuck in the eye of the storm, always in the calm, waiting to be thrown back into the mix of things but never actually moving.
He remembers these things and he's already told her before, but it can't hurt to tell her again, before she goes away for the longest time.
"Are you sure about this? I mean, absolutely, one-hundred-percent positive?" he asks her one more time as they dress for the morning. It's, like, three in the morning but Dick specifically asked them to make it to the harbor by no later than four so they have to get moving. He hears Artemis sigh and turns towards her just as she finishes buttoning up her coat.
"Absolutely, one-hundred-fifty-percent positive," she snarks. She doesn't say it with as much bite as she usually does, though, and that's what raises Wally's alarms. He walks up to stand in front of her.
"Do you –" he falters, but starts again, "Do you remember that one time you didn't really come back from a mission?"
"You mean, the simulation?"
"No!" Wally shakes his head, "God, no. I mean, back with Ivy, a couple years back." Artemis winces and turns away slightly.
"Oh. Of course I do." She faces him again, eyebrow raised. "What of it?"
"Do you remember how distraught I was?" Wally figures placing it in front of the two of them and just being straightforward will save them a lot of time. It works, and Artemis's expression softens.
"M'gann never lets me forget. Especially on our bad days," she mutters the last part quietly. Wally lets out a short, breathy laugh and takes Artemis's hands.
"Well, then, you'll remember, how freaked out I was," Artemis nods silently, "how I failed my chemistry quiz that week?" Artemis winces, "You cannot blame that on me —" she interrupts, but Wally continues.
"Artemis, I just need you to remember how broken up I was, okay? And you can't do that to me, you can't do that to any sane human being." There's a fine layer of solemnity in Wally's voice and he sounds serious, so serious.
"What are you saying, Wally?" Artemis tightens their interlocked hands.
"Just…" Now he finds it hard to put it into words. "Look after yourself, okay?" he says lamely. Artemis snorts. Looking after herself, however difficult it'll be, is a given.
"Sure thing, Baywatch," she lets go of his hands and turns to the mirror to tie up her hair. She doesn't even take a few steps before Wally catches her shoulder.
"Artemis. I'm serious." He's frowning a little. "You have to come back to me, okay?" Artemis realises that he isn't quite frowning because he's mad or he's tired or he's hungry or anything. He's kind of desperate and more than a little scared. Artemis slumps her shoulders, not even sure if making that promise is fair to either or them.
But then she remembers, too. She remembers how his name was the first thing that came out of her lips after recovering from the fight with that green, plant-loving bitch. She remembers how, even in her state of unconsciousness, she missed him in those few weeks and she didn't even have to be aware of it, she just had to feel it. He might have missed her but he had no idea how much she had missed him.
So Artemis straightens out, looks Wally straight in the eye and says, "I will."
She'll come back. Because they both know how vital it is that she does. They have an entire life to live after all of this blows over, and it will blow over. They are going to be okay, the both of them. They have to be.
They have to be.
I'm really sorry about this worthless piece of writing, guys. I really am. But that trailer hit me really hard and I had to do something about it.